As Tough As They Come
by wildelove
Summary: On their way back to Aydindril, the gang make a discovery in an abandoned Mord-Sith temple. Kahlan and Cara make discoveries of their own.. The world's in trouble...again. (what's new) But there's a twist! One of Darken Rahl's sadistic wizards has found away to get to Valhalla and become a God and plans to create a shit storm of trouble. disclaimer: I suck at summaries.
1. Chapter 1

Rating probably will go up! Also, I own nothing, blah blah blah, and some disturbing content ahead. Not going to lie, this chapter is kind of boring, so if you want to skip to chapter 2 I PROMISE it get's better.

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**After defeating The Keeper, Richard, Cara and Zedd had begun a new journey to get the Mother Confessor back to her rightful place in Aydindril. **

**Richard, also needing a new cause had decided to finally accept his heritage and declared himself the new Lord Rahl. He wanted to change D'hara for the better, and use his position to rule fairly, and justly. Upon the new bond being awakened, Richard had used it to order all Mord-Sith to cease their activities and abandon their temples to travel to The People's Palace, to wait for their new Lord.**

The sun shone brightly on the hot summer day, which only reflected the anger in the blonde's emerald orbs more intensely then normal. "I'm going into the temple with or without you confessor". With a raised eyebrow and cocked hip, her decision had been finalized, and she turned to begin walking toward the lone temple. Cara had been careless, likely due to a combination of stress, sleeplessness and exhaustion that their quest had brought, and had lost her agiels in a large rift to the underworld before it was sealed in the chaos of the fight near the Pillars. The Mord-Sith would be damned if she couldn't get her hands on another pair of comforting agiels.

Kahlan shook her head in disbelief at the blonde's stubbornness. She couldn't sort out why, but she continually got sick feeling that swirled in the pit of her stomach at the thought of the Mord'Sith being put in mortal danger. _I just care about her, _she reasoned with herself. _She's become a friend to us all._ Something about the word friend made her uncomfortable. She hadn't spoken a word to anyone, but before discovering Richard was immune to her power while she was in Con Dar, she had discovered that Cara was as well. While fighting the sisters of the dark she had focused all her power on Cara, to no avail. A fact that she couldn't figure out the meaning of, and she couldn't decide whether it excited or frightened her.

The confessor sighed heavily with frustration, and looked to her right for support from her other travelling companion. The seeker all but stifled a laugh at the bickering women in front of him. Zedd brought up the back, holding the four horse's reins, while contently munching on an apple. Wisely choosing to stay out of the matter. Some things never changed. But other things….

"She's right Cara, we have no idea how many Mord'Sith are in there, or if they would even listen to me. We could easily be outnumbered". Without going through the proper ceremonies officially giving him rein over D'hara, he feared he may not be accepted fully by those who were so loyal to his malevolent brother. The blonde defiantly pursed her perfect lips. "I need. New agiels. This.…", reaching to her belt, she held up one of Kahlan's daggers between two fingers with mock disgust, "is not cutting it".

The brunette crossed her arms over her chest, her cleavage lifting slightly higher in her already constricting, and revealing traveller's dress. Cara quickly turned back towards the temple, not allowing her eyes to wander, suddenly intrigued by the structure which she had seen thousands of times. "I'll have you know that dagger is of excellent quality, and passed down from my mother". Kahlan's voiced cracked almost in perceptively at the last word. But she had heard it, and the blonde cringed slightly. Thankfully Cara was facing away from the group and her reaction was unseen.

She knew how much it hurt the confessor to speak of her dead mother, and felt a slight ache in her chest that she might have hurt and offended her. _I shouldn't be… _the blonde didn't allow herself to finish that thought. In a flash her features became stoic again as she turned around. _Get it together. _She sighed softly. "If your confessor power had be taken away from you, i'm sure you would also want it back. It's like….", the blonde struggled to find the right words. Kahlan half smiled, "you've lost a part of yourself", she finished. Cara nodded curtly in confirmation.

Slightly uncomfortable with the emotion filled turn the conversation had begun to take, the blonde turned back toward the temple and begun to saunter over. The sway of her hips had momentarily hypnotized the confessor before she snapped out of it, mentally scolding herself. "Richard! Stop her!". The seeker was already on her heels with his sword drawn when he turned his head towards her, "I can't Kahlan! She's a free Mord-Sith!".

Ahead, Cara stifled and eye roll, she could already tell by the rough, unkempt, vine tangled exterior that the temple was abandoned. She also knew a temple of such small size could hold ten Mord-Sith at the most. Hardly a challenge in her mind. Regardless, she felt the need to have the Mother Confessor's dagger drawn, and held it in a vice grip by her side.

As an unspoken agreement, Zedd had stayed behind with the horses and took a seat on a near by rock, knowing his magic would be useless against their opponents. Kahlan finally gave up with an exasperated sigh, drawing her other dagger from her thigh high boots, and jogging after the two incredibly stubborn individuals.


	2. Chapter 2

Everything was pitch black. Maybe it was night? Maybe, she was finally at peace and back home? No. Her home wasn't dark. It was the brightest, warmest place she had ever been. The light almost welcomed anyone who went there, enveloping them in a huge hug. It was filled with a calming sense of peace and power. She was her strongest back home. But she was anything but strong here, in this moment.

It was only went she attempted to move that she snapped back to reality, conscious once again. A quiet hiss escaped her lips. She hoped they didn't hear. _How long have I been here? Two weeks? Two months?. _She was certain she hadn't felt the familiar searing, fiery, sting lately. She prayed to the spirits that her tormentors had finally left to her to die in peace. Her other injures still shot jolts of pain throughout her body when she tried to move, and even when she didn't. But it was nothing compared to the palpable suffering and death she could literally feel had taken place here. It might have been the worst part of being in this room, feeling the death and fear of those before her.

She tried to crack open her eyes to look around, but had difficulty doing so, finding one completely swollen shut, and the other crusted with dried blood. Opening her un-swollen eye she saw no one directly in front of her. Moving as little as possible, she looked around the room she was in, and saw three of them dead, half rotting. _Good. _The pungent stench however, was enough for her to become gradually aware of her other senses, and she sensed now that she was not alone. She heard faint footsteps approaching.

She cringed. Of course they were back for more. _Odin help me…_ Why would he leave her like this, when it would be so easy for him to call her back? She tried to focus beyond the constant waves of pain emanating from seemingly every part of her body. _There's at least three, or four of them. _She heard a scoff of disgust, words she couldn't make out, and an irritated hiss. She closed her eye, and tried to detach herself from what was about to happen.


	3. Chapter 3

The entrance was covered in cob webs that Cara irritatedly slashed away. She allowed her eyes to adjust to the darkness for a split second before moving swiftly forward. Confident where she knew she would find spare agiels, she turned left down a slightly rounded stone corridor. Richard and Kahlan were close behind her. _There's that feeling in my stomach again.._ Before turning to follow the Mord-Sith, Kahlan quickly slipped in front of Richard with ease. "Kahlan, get behind me", he whispered, earning a glare from the Mother Confessor that was not to be challenged. His eye brows shot up, nearly off his head before obediently complying.

The smell hit the three like a brick wall. The blonde in front scrunched her nose for a moment, seemingly unaffected, but slightly nauseous. Not that she would ever admit it. _No one's alive, _she thought to herself. Behind her, she heard the seeker scoff in disgust, "What is that smell? Ugh". She whipped her head around and glared at him with piercing green eyes, "shh", she hissed. Richard scratched his head, _What is up with these two? Must be female stuff. _Kahlan covered her mouth and nose with her free hand, and willed her self not to be sick.

When Cara came to the opening of the corridor, she stopped suddenly, and Kahlan's front collided flush against her back. The brunette blushed slightly at the contact and mumbled a quiet sorry. In front of them was a perfectly round room with a metal grate in the middle, and chains hanging from the ceiling on each side of the room. The stone floor was stained almost entirely with dried blood. They had certainly found the source of the smell. Three dead Mord-Sith lay near the entrance. The room was dark, except for a bit of light shining down into the middle of the room, through an opening in the roof of the temple.

Kahlan's eyes went from the dead women in red, to another hanging from chains. She gasped quietly. Cara, seemingly unaffected by the gruesome scene, walked into the room first, taking one of the sister's agiels and placing them in her belt. She made a mental note to clean them thoroughly later. The blonde reached the woman hanging from the chains first, and noticed a radarhan secured around her neck. The woman's body was covered with two measly strips of leather, and it almost seemed as if not an inch of her skin was unmarked. Her long blonde hair was tinged almost completely red with blood, matching the leather strips. Cara carefully slipped two fingers under the radahan and found a weak pulse.

"She's alive. Barely", she stated matter-of-factly. With those words, Richard charged forward and began to try to undo the chains around her wrists. The Mord-Sith's face showed no emotions as she looked over the other blonde. It looked like Mord-Sith work to her, she could tell from the agiel marks all over her body, but she had never known a sister to cause this much damage at once. It was preferable to let the subject heal a bit first, giving them a false sense of hope and relief before resuming training. It helped the breaking process. She heard the Kahlan's voice directly behind her, "Maybe she's another confessor?".

The brunette didn't wait for a response, and quickly began to search the small room for a key to the offensive object around the girl's neck. While struggling with the chains, Richard heard the woman groan. "Cara, help me get these off!". The Mord-Sith stalked over the where the chains could be lowered, hesitating for a second, deciding if she should or not. There was something about the other blonde that stirred an unknown feeling inside of her. Deciding Richard would probably cut through the chains with the sword of truth anyway, she turned the crank and began to lower her.

The entire time she had been two weak to open her good eye again, and now the blonde slipped back into blissful darkness, becoming unconscious, just as she felt someone pulling on the chains, and her body being lowered.

Unable to find a key, Kahlan went over to help lower the girl. She put an arm around the other woman's tiny waist for support, knowing she obviously wouldn't be able to stand. "Stop lowering!". Richard unsheathed his sword and slashed at each chain. The Mother confessor caught the woman in her arms before she could hit the ground.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews! They really do help me write faster :)

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Zedd had just finished yet another apple and was feeding the core to his mount when he caught a flash of movement in the corner of his eye. He turned his head to the left and saw Richard charging towards him. Kahlan wasn't far behind and she had something in her arm. _A person? _he questioned. Behind the two he could see Cara walking, also holding something in her arms, and cautiously looking around for any possible lurking threats.

"Zedd, she needs healing! Quick!". The old wizard ignored the aches in his bones and stood abruptly, making his way over. "Place her on the grass there", he pointed a boney finger in front of him. The Mother Confessor put the woman down as gently as possible, not wanting to cause her anymore pain, even if she was unconscious. She knelt in the grass and put the woman's head on her lap.

When the Mord-Sith caught up, she carelessly threw what she was carrying next to the woman on the ground. Deep blue eyes gave her a questioning look. _That was thoughtful of her. _ The blonde shrugged, "I found this in the temple for her to wear. Since we can't have her running around half naked. Although it wouldn't be the worst thing ever". She curled her lips into a devious smirk at the last part, causing the brunette's eyes to linger on her full lips before breaking eye contact. _Get it together Kahlan. _

The wizard quickly got to work hovering his hands over the woman's body. He closed his eyes in concentration. Something wasn't right. It was unlike any energy he had sensed before. It felt both endless and barely there, which was impossible, unless…

"We need to get rid of the raderhaun. I believe it may be creating a blockage in her energy field, i'm not able to sense the true damage". Richard ran his hands through his sandy brown hair, "We couldn't find a key Zedd! How are we going to get it off?". The old wizard smiled, "Never fear my boy, there are other ways. In theory, I can cast a spell to conjure a raderhaun key, it will appear and then we can unlock it".

Zedd closed his eyes and held both of his palms in front of him while chanting an incantation. In a few seconds, a puff of smoke erupted in his right hand, and a bronze key appeared. He opened his eyes, and knelt on one knee to quickly undo the raderhaun, throwing it a few feet into the grass. Once again holding his boney hands over the girl, he sensed the same thing. This couldn't be possible.

Before the others could register the confused expression on his face, he began to heal the woman's injuries starting at her head. As he chanted, wisps of orange light from his hands shone on her body and she began to slowly heal. But something still wasn't right. Her more minor wounds healed, some bruises and cuts were gone, and her eye was un-swollen, but her body stubbornly refused to completely heal.

Kahlan had be admiring how beautiful the woman's face was when it was un-swollen when she looked up, "Zedd.. what's wrong? Why is it taking so long?". The wizard frowned again and stopped what he was doing. "I'm not sure. Her body is rejecting my magic and i'm almost completely drained. I have a theory but-", Cara cut him off, "She's a valkyrie". Grey, bushy eye brows rose slightly, "We can't be sure-", "Yes, we can. She bears the mark on her side". The blonde pointed to a dark spot just above the woman's right hip bone. It was difficult to see underneath the dark purple mark left from countless assaults from an agiel, but if one looked closely enough they could make out a intricate wing with a sword piercing it, wrapped in a circle of flames. Kahlan sighed, "Of course..". It all made sense now.

Richard had be watching the scene in front of him, and was unable to contain his questions any further. "Wait, why isn't she healing? And what is a valkyrie?". Zedd stood from his position, placing a hand on the small of his aching back before continuing, "She's not healing because she's immune to most forms of magic. I was able to heal her to an extent because i'm a wizard of the first order. Don't fear, valkyries heal very quickly. As for what they are, they are essentially a group of women who bring nobel dead warriors to Valhalla. You could say they are guardian angels of warriors. They are also immortal in the sense that every few hundred years they re-begin their life cycle". The wizard paused to let the new information sink in.

Kahlan tucked a stray blonde hair away from the beautiful face resting on her lap. Her chiselled, nordic features were almost hypnotizing. They almost reminded her of another blonde's perfect face. She looked up and exchanged a worried glance with the Mord-Sith, who was looking down at the two women below her. She was seemingly bored with the current conversation going on between the wizard and his grandson, and has decided to study the new woman. The blonde stared emotionlessly into bright blue pools before looking around the field for any signs of danger. _I hate it when she looks at me like that._ Cara closed her eyes for a moment, scolding herself for caring again. _Weak. _

Richard furrowed his eye brows in confusion at the new information. "What is a Valhalla?". Zedd took a short pause to process the fact that someone had been foolish enough to hold a valkyrie captive, torture her, and from how bare her neck now was, steal her pendant. "When the creator sealed the underworld with the Keeper in it, she was pregnant with his child. The son she had, Odin, was a perfect mixture of good and evil. She created a sort of warrior heaven, where those worthy would go after death, called Valhalla. Her son looks over Valhalla and created valkyries to transport the noblest of souls. The creator believed that brave, and nobel warriors should be rewarded with an afterlife better then that of an eternity in the underworld. By nature, confessors automatically go to Valhalla", he paused to look at Kahlan for confirmation, and the brunette nodded. "Other warriors are judged by Odin and the valkyries themselves. However, once in a blue moon, a valkyrie may find her one true warrior with whom she bonds with for life. She then stays with them to guard and protect them in their causes until death where they both spend eternity in Valhalla". Richard nodded his head in understanding, but still slightly confused.

Cara shifted uncomfortable at the last part the wizard had said. Kahlan noticed and reached up to place a comforting hand on her forearm. Blue orbs silently questioned green ones. The mord-sith looked away. The blonde, even unconscious, stirred something new and unknown inside of her. She wasn't sure she liked it. The blonde risked a glance at Kahlan and felt something totally different. It was a warmer feeling, but not as strong as the pull she had to the unconscious woman below her. It was all very foreign to the mord-sith. _This has to stop. _Carefully putting her mask back on, reining in her emotions, she turned her body back fully to the scene before her.

Kahlan finally spoke up, "It's going to be dark soon. We should make a camp near by. Hopefully she comes to by morning". Everyone except Cara nodded in agreement.

After setting up camp a few feet away from the clearing, Cara had gone to hunt, and Zedd was busy trying to salvage the stew the mord-sith started to make. Richard finally had a moment to talk to Kahlan alone. She was by the unconscious valkyrie's side when he came up behind her. "Soo.. I was thinking maybe tonight we could share a bedroll and spend some time together?"

When the brunette looked up he had his signature goofy grin and sported hopeful eyes . She considered shouting at him about how inappropriate that was considering their current situation, or how she hadn't even slept next to him months, or how she felt far more comfortable sleeping next to Cara. But she chose to put her confessors mask firmly in place, not letting her irritation show, "Richard, I don't think that would be a good idea. Besides, i'm taking care of this woman tonight. We can discuss this further at a later time". The seeker was shocked at the cold rejection he had just gotten. Lately Kahlan had been distancing herself from him, and he couldn't figure out why.

Without a word he walked a few feet over to the fire and sat down on a log beside Zedd. His grandfather gave him a sympathetic look, and patted him on the shoulder, offering him some words of advice, "Don't rush her my boy, she will be ready when she's ready". The seeker nodded weakly.


	5. Chapter 5

Cara had taken first watch again. She noticed everyone at camp soundly asleep, except for one stubborn confessor. She was mildly irritated that their new guest was keeping Kahlan from getting a good night's rest. There it was again, that annoying warm feeling in her chest. _Not that I care. It's purely for Lord Rahl's safety. She needs to be rested and alert to protect him, _the mord-sith lamely reasoned with herself.

The brunette had placed her bed roll next to the unconscious blonde, and was intently watching her body slowly repair itself. She had never seen a valkyrie heal before and it fascinated her. The woman's bruises and other wounds were one by one becoming enveloped by black shadows that would then fade to reveal pale, unmarked skin underneath.

Finally having enough, the mord-sith came up behind the confessor and placed a leather clad hand on her shoulder. Kahlan jumped at the contact, "Spirits Cara, you nearly scared me half to death!". The blonde sported a satisfied smirk, "What if I had been a D'haran solider? You'd be dead by now confessor. You're not losing your touch are you?". The brunette narrowed her eyes at her. "Well then, I guess I would have to come back from the dead and confess you for keeping such terrible watch. I would have thought you would be more vigilant with Richard sleeping across camp". A satisfied smirk matching the one Cara had moments ago graced the confessor's lips.

The blonde crossed her arms in a huff, "You should really get some rest. It will be light in a few candle marks and i'm sure the valkyrie isn't going anywhere anytime soon". Sleep beckoned the brunette as she realized how tired she actually was. "I suppose you're right. I just hope she wakes up soon so she can tell us what kind of monsters did this to her", immediately she cringed at her words, wishing she could take them back. She realized too late what they sounded like.

Her blue eyes desperately searched the mord-sith's face only to find blankness staring back at her. "Cara, I-", "Don't. We both know what monsters did this. Mord-sith". Kahlan stood and placed a hand on the blonde's forearm, only to have it ripped from her grasp. "I didn't mean-". Cara began to walk away, "You should really rest Mother Confessor".

The brunette stood there watching Cara retreat back into the shell that she had worked so hard to break out of. Guilt swept through her body. Finally deciding to leave it for the moment she lay down on her side and tried to get some rest, but her mind had other plans. It played over the disguised look of hurt in Cara's eyes. To most it would unnoticeable, but she had most definitely noticed.

In fact, she had been noticing a lot of changes in the blonde lately…but she shook the thought out of her mind, reasoning that it was because she was simply becoming more comfortable with their little group and opening up more. Even if it was usually only in the confessor's company.

Cara looked around the surrounding forest dutifully as she gripped her agiel hard, the familiar burning sting taking away some of the sting of Kahlan's words. _So that's what she thinks of me…a monster. _Once again, she found herself angry for caring about the brunette and what she thought about her. She looked up at the night sky, judging the time. It was Richard's turn to watch, but she couldn't sleep. She felt restless, so instead of waking him up she decided to let everyone sleep, allowing her to brood in peace.

The sun was just beginning to rise, creating a beautiful pink glow in the sky. Kahlan hadn't gotten much sleep, but was grateful for the rest she did get. She lay in her bed roll with her eyes closed, allowing her mind a chance to fully wake up. A groan from beside her jerked her fully awake as she quickly sat up and looked to her left. The blonde's body was completely healed and she was beginning to wake up.

Cara heard the noise too and stood from her spot on a log near the fire. She made her way across camp and stood next to Kahlan, one hand on an agiel, ready to protect her if this new woman posed a threat. Kahlan contemplated waking up Richard and Zedd, but decided that the less people bombarding her with questions, the better.

Her eyes barely cracked open to reveal grey/blue orbs that she shut quickly at the sudden invasion of light. It was barely sunrise, but she wasn't used to even that amount of brightness, having been held in the dark room in the temple for weeks. She took a moment to feel her body, making sure it was in one piece. The pain was gone, now replaced by an uncomfortable soreness, but she wasn't complaining.

Eyes now adjusted, she opened them fully and saw deep blue eyes looking down at her. Immediately her body went tense as if waiting to be brutalized again. She knew after a few seconds who this woman was, everyone in the Midlands did. Yet it did little to relieve her sense of anxiety and the sudden urge to run.

Kahlan immediately noticed, "You're safe here. No one's going to hurt you. I'm Kahlan Amnell, and this is Cara".

The blonde slowly sat up and was putting distance between herself and the brunette beside her when she saw the mord-sith. Terrified grey eyes met unreadable green ones. Cara spoke up, "Do you have a name? Or should we just call you valkyrie?". She was beyond confused at the mix signals her body was giving her. She felt drawn to the other blonde, yet she was afraid of her, knowing first hand the damage she could inflict. It was the woman beneath the leather that seemed to be calling to her. It was as if a spark had be ignited inside of her and the fear and attraction she was feeling mixed together is a messy puddle of emotions.

_It can't be… _She didn't let herself finish the thought, instead she slowly stood, and backed away one step. "I'm Rhea. And now that I have my power back you are no match for me mord-sith". Her voice was strong and even, with a hint of fury. Black shadows menacingly danced in the outline of the blonde's face, covering her prominent cheek bones and starting to cover the corners of her pale eyes. The mord-sith backed up two paces at the taste of doubt power the other woman was giving her.

Without thinking, Kahlan pushed Cara behind her. Immediately the shadows faded, "Mother Confessor! What are you doing!?". The brunette's voice held a regal air of authority, "Don't you dare hurt her". The other woman was again confused, "But she's mord-sith!". She clasped her hands in front of her as her confessor's mask slipped over her face, "She is of no threat to you".

Behind her, Cara had regained her composure once again, "But I can be, if I have to. As i'm sure you already know". She glared through the pull she was feeling towards the other woman. If she was being perfectly honest with herself, she wasn't sure she could actually hurt her. Unless she tried to hurt Kahlan that is.

Shadows threatened to take over Rhea's face again, and she could have sworn she felt a phantom pain of an agiel on her side at the mord-sith's words. Kahlan was horrified that Cara would bring up what had happened to her in the temple and use it as a threat. "Cara! You'll have to forgive her, she doesn't mean that". Cara snorted behind her.

Suddenly an uneasy feeling swept through the valkyrie. Her mind had been slightly foggy from just waking up, and thanks to the phantom pain she had felt, she was now fully conscious. She looked around the camp and saw two other men present, and beginning to stir in their bedrolls. She was alone and outnumbered. She continued to slowly back away from the two woman and reached a hand towards her neck, only to find it bare. _He must have taken it._

She became all to aware that she was half naked, and she shyly looked down at her pale, small body. Kahlan picked up the brown leather clothes and boots from the ground, "Cara found these for you to wear, and if you want to bathe there's a stream west of here, just down that path", she pointed directly behind her. Rhea carefully took the clothes from the mother confessor with suspicious grey eyes, and began to walk down the path, "Thanks...". She desperately wished she had a weapon with her and made a mental note to find one before going back to the camp. Like hell she would be unarmed around four strangers.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you again for the reviews! :) Hope you enjoy this next instalment.

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Rhea had washed herself at least four times, but still felt absolutely filthy. It was almost as if she could still feel their hands all over her body. The blonde shuddered at the thought, but quickly pushed it out of her mind. She couldn't afford to show any weakness in front of the people back at camp, and thinking about what happened would lead to an inevitable breakdown. Which was.. _unacceptable. _

Instead, she continued to search for a weapon near the stream. A glint caught the corner of her eye, and she walked over to the water's edge. A broken arrow. _This'll do. _She picked it up and broke the rest of the shaft off, leaving the flat, sharp head. She proceeded to tuck it into the top of her leather boot before walking the path back to camp. She planned to maybe get some food off of them and leave, simple enough.

Richard and Zedd had since awoke and were both preparing breakfast by the dwindling fire. The seeker let out a hearty chuckle, "I still can't believe she overpowered our Cara so easily". The mord-sith glared daggers at him, clearly pissed. "I could have easily killed her. I simply chose not to". He decided to let it go, partly for fear of what Cara might do to prove him wrong, "Okay Car..", his voice trailed off as he saw the clean, healed valkyrie make her way back to camp. She looked like a completely different person from the one they had found in the temple. Cara followed his line of vision and smirked. Zedd was oblivious to the scene in front of him and continued eating the succulent rabbit that was breakfast.

Without blood staining it, her long hair looked almost white. It was so blonde. Still slightly damp, it lay in loose waves down her sides. The clothing that had been found was actually her valkyrie uniform, so at least she had something to remind her of home. It consisted of a dark brown leather corset that was long enough to cover most of her mid drift, but left a few centimetres of pale skin exposed. It revealed her distinct valkyrie marking on her right hip. Attached to the straps of the somewhat loose fitting corset were small leather shoulder pads with intricate bronze detailing to match the bronze belt that held up her pleated skirt. The skirt was sexy, yet functional. It only showed a few inches of pale skin that her thigh high boots didn't cover and was easy to move in.

Kahlan had just finished putting out the fire, when she realized the sudden silence in the camp. She looked over at the seeker and nudged him hard in the ribs, "Richard, you're staring". Cara's smirked doubled, "Do you blame him confessor?". The brunette blushed at her words, even she had to admit how stunning the other woman looked. Yet, her stomach danced with butterflies at the lust filled look the mord-sith's face was painted with, wishing it was for her and not the valkyrie. _What in the spirits is happening to me?. _

Cara suddenly felt a dangerous tingling in her chest and reached down and grabbed the bow off the log it was resting on, aiming it straight in Rhea's direction as if it was a reflex she couldn't control. The other blonde stopped short, a few feet away from the mord-sith, "What the hell. It's much to early for this…". Just as she began to reach for the arrow head in her boot, Cara let go of the string, releasing the arrow. It flew past her head, almost hitting her.

Rhea's heart pounded so hard in her chest, she was sure everyone could hear it. She heard a sick gurgling noise behind her and turned around to see a young man in a long black robe on the ground, with the arrow through the centre of his chest. She also noticed the purple balls of energy in each of his hands fizzle away. _A wizard,_ she reasoned.

After a few moments Rhea realized the mord-sith was protecting her, and that indescribable pull within her somehow confirmed her suspicions as it fluttered in her chest. She continued the last few feet forward and placed her hands defiantly on her hips, "You know, I'm not some delicate flower that needs saving..".

Cara scoffed and crossed her arm, "Your manners clearly need work valkyrie". While the blondes were arguing Kahlan and Richard jogged over to where the man was lying on the ground dying. The brunette wrapped her hand around his neck, feeling her magic flow through her. Her eyes went black, and so did his as she confessed him. He looked up at her with an odd smile, "Command me confessor". She let go of his neck, "Who are you, and why were you trying to kill Rhea!?". His smile grew as he began to cough up blood. "B-barbas", was the only thing to quietly escape his lips before his spirit was sent to the underworld. Kahlan and Richard exchanged confused looks.

The seeker was the first to question Rhea once they reached the others again, his desire to find the truth almost overwhelming. There were still so many questions. "Does the name Barbas mean anything to you?", he gently asked. The blonde stopped eating the piece of meat Zedd had given her, and threw it into the fire pit. She took a deep breath to try and control her heart beat before answering in a steady voice, "No. Never heard of him". Cara raised an eyebrow, "You're lying". The other blonde whipped her head around and glared at her, "What are you a confessor now!?".

Kahlan was curious about the tension between the blondes, but she shook it from her mind and put on her unreadable confessor face. She stepped forward and placed a gently hand on the other woman's shoulder to turn her to face her. Rhea jumped at the contact before crossing her arms, her expression softening when she saw who it was. "No, she's not. But I am, and I can tell you're lying. So who is he?".

The valkyrie let out a sigh, before uncrossing her arms and beginning to pace around the smoking fire, with four pairs of eyes watching her. Cara shifted uncomfortably, almost able to feel the other woman's nerves. "He.. I think he's the wizard who kidnapped me, and kept me in the temple. I remember one of the mord-sith calling him by that name. He's really… damn powerful. That is all I know". Her grey eyes looked directly into Kahlan's as she finished her sentence, so she could confirm she was telling the truth. Kahlan could see she was telling her most of the truth, so she accepted the answer and nodded.

Richard was beginning to put the pieces together. "So Barbas sent that other wizard to kill you, which means he'll probably try again.. Until we can figure out a way to stop a crazy powerful wizard from killing you, I think you should travel with us. It's not safe to be out here alone. Where are you going anyways?". He tried to lighten the mood with a goofy smile that no one reciprocated.

Rhea crossed her arms to stop herself from fidgeting in front of everyone, and considered his offer carefully. Although she didn't completely trust these people, she knew he was right. Even if they were travelling with a wizard, which was something that was making her more uncomfortable then comforted. "He also took my pedant, I need to find that son of a bitch and get it back. So I need to find at some of my sisters to help me, and last time I checked Aydindril had a large valkyrie population."

Richard's face lit up even more, "That's great! I'm on my way to D'hara but we'll all be traveling past Aydindril to drop Kahlan off!". The brunette stepped forward, "And If you come with us, I can assure you that I will supply you with soldiers to help get your pedant back", she half smiled knowing how stressful the situation was. The brunette then looked over to Cara who stared back at her, yet didn't object. She took that as her agreement to allow the other blonde to travel with them.

It was settled then, Rhea would be travelling and living with the odd dysfunctional group until Aydindril. It almost made the valkyrie laugh when she thought about it. She turned away while everyone was packing up their things and bit her lip to stopped the laughter from erupting. She'd be stuck with a love sick seeker, a practically prehistoric wizard, the ruler of the midlands, and a woman who she couldn't decide if she thought was mystifying, or simply a monster.

All she knew was that the woman held way too much power over her. The valkyrie knew how deadly mord-sith could be, and that alone scared her. Now she had to handle these feelings she had towards the woman in red. There was no way she could be attracted to her. The attraction felt different, she couldn't explain it. She sighed heavily and walked over to help the confessor with her bed roll. One thing was for sure; _this trip won't be boring,_ Rhea thought to herself grimly.


	7. Chapter 7

The past few days hadn't been very eventful, but at least now Rhea had gotten a feel for her travelling companions. Zedd was always the first one to a meal, and the last one to finish eating. He was also the only person who could turn whatever animal Cara had hunted in a somewhat edible meal. She had to admit, he wasn't nearly as intimidating as she had first thought, but she still kept her guard up around the old man. _Wizards are all corrupt with power, _she couldn't help the cynical thought that involuntarily invaded her mind when she looked at him.

Richard talked far too much and had a childishness about him that annoyed the valkyrie to no end. She had also noticed he was overly friendly with her, acting as if he had known her for years and often crossing many boundaries. Compared to the wizard, he was no threat at all.

Her thoughts then drifted to the mesmerizing woman in red. Once the initial fear of her dissipated slightly, the thing that Rhea had immediately noticed about Cara was the effortless air of strength and confidence that surrounded her. Well that, and the other obviously attractive attributes the woman possessed. After her first real night with the others she learned that Cara liked to take first watch. But after sleep had eluded Rhea for another night she decided she had enough and insisted that she take take watch first. A poor decision, that resulted in her being awake and watching the camp for the past three nights straight.

It was an annoying, yet pleasant reprieve for the other blonde. And she couldn't deny that it was entirely awful that she got to sleep so close to Kahlan. Quite the opposite actually. Even after the longest days, she perked up come nightfall knowing the comfort of sleeping next to the confessor that waited for her. But she couldn't shake a gnawing feeling in her stomach when she looked at the valkyrie. Cara could see the obvious toll sleeplessness was taking on the other woman, and could swear she almost felt it when she looked into her tired grey eyes.

Then there was the Mother Confessor. Kahlan was without a doubt the heart of the group, keeping everyone and everything together and subtlety making the important decisions without forcing them onto anyone. She was strong, compassionate, fair and completely under appreciated in Rhea's opinion. Whenever conflict, or other problems arose, she was always the one to fix them with a practiced grace and effectiveness. She always seemed to know exactly what to say and what to do. Maybe it was part of her confessor nature, or perhaps something ingrained into her character.

Either way, she noticed it second to the palpable tension between the mord-sith and confessor. By far the funniest part was how everyone else in the group, including the two women themselves, seemed to be completely oblivious to it. The blonde couldn't help the small smile that formed on her lips at the thought.

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Richard and Zedd were first to reach the stream and drank the delicious cold liquid hungrily before fussing over lunch. Cara walked much slower then the men and kept her senses tuned into the scene unfolding between the valkyrie and Kahlan a few feet behind her.

Lost in her thoughts and overcome by fatigue, Rhea was reduced to an almost zombie like state and didn't hear her name being called. Slightly concerned, Kahlan gently put her hand on the other woman's shoulder before trying to get her attention again, "Rhea? We're going to stop for lunch beside the stream..". The blonde woman flinched violently at the unexpected contact, and snapped out of her thoughts immediately. She tried to calm herself, _you're fine, it's just the mother confessor. Don't you dare show her anything. _Kahlan immediately withdrew her hand as if she'd been burned, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. You didn't hear me the first few times I called your name...".

The valkyrie looked ahead to see Cara only a few feet away and covertly listening to the conversation. She put a hard face on, "You didn't. I was just thinking.", and without saying anything else she picked up her pace began to make her way towards the stream.

Everyone was munching on fruit they had gathered along their travels except a certain blonde. Rhea wasn't the slightest bit hungry. And she suddenly felt claustrophobic. She needed to get away. It's not that she was afraid, but she felt that stinging in the back of her eyes beginning, as it occasionally did. Unfortunately for her it wasn't night fall yet.

She casually walked over to Kahlan and gave her the untouched red apple in her hand. "I'm going for a walk". Puzzled, the confessor turned to look at her travelling companions to find Cara the only one paying attention to something other then her food. The brunette gave her a concerned look that sent unfamiliar pains into the more-siths heart. Cara hated it when Kahlan gave her that look, and hated how it affected her even more. As if on instinct she grasped an agiel, punishing herself for letting the confessor have this effect on her.

But all the agiels in the world couldn't punish her enough for what she was about to do. Cara stood and carelessly threw her apple core on the ground. She looked directly into the familiar, hypnotizing blue orbs, "I'll talk to the valkyrie. She needs to eat something to keep up her strength". She grabbed a substantial chunk of bread from her pack before following the narrow trail the blonde had taken.

Kahlan sat on the rock stunned, staring at Cara's perfect retreating form. _She really has changed. _A warm feeling bubbled in her chest at the thought of the beautiful woman showing compassion to the stranger. She smiled contently to herself before continuing eating her lunch, and allowed her self to appreciate the sway of mord-sith's hips just for that moment.

When Cara reached Rhea, she had one hand on a tree and was hunched over slightly, overcome by a wave of nausea. The images were becoming stronger, and she started seeing them at more inopportune times, such as now. The valkyrie finally heard footsteps approaching and tensed. _Please don't let me have to fight..not now.._

"You're not going to be sick are you?", the mord-sith asked in a seemingly empty tone. The lighter blonde immediately straightened and turned towards the other woman. Her body screamed at her to take solace in Cara, yet a part of her mind was still telling her to fight the feeling of connectedness all together. This tug of war was exhausting, and she wasn't sure how long she could keep it up. _Get it together. _A smirked graced her lips that was eerily similar to the defiant one that Cara often sported. "Valkyries don't get sick".

Grey eyes then narrowed slightly as she became suspicious of her intentions. "I Just needed some air... What the hell are you doing here?". Cara scoffed at the snappy tone the other woman was using, "I brought you some bread". Light eyebrows furrowed, "What. Why?". The mord-sith let of a barely audible sigh, and broke eye contact, "The mother confessor once told me to show compassion to others. So just take it". The valkyries heart fluttered in unison with Cara's at the words. It took all the strength she had to not smile.

The mord-sith passed Rhea the chunk of bread she was carrying, and gave her a quick once over. "You look like crap. If you're travelling with us is you have to keep up your strength and be able to fight".

Rhea crossed her arms, and widened her stance slightly, "I'm perfectly able to fight. Care to see?". The smaller woman allowed the beginnings of her doubt power to take over her face as shadows began to cover her cheek bones and the corners of her eyes. Almost immediately the pain in her side caused her to hunch over. Worry washed over the mord-sith like a sickening wave. Luckily Cara's voice didn't betray her, "I can clearly see that valkyrie". Her face faltered when no sassy response came, and another wave of worry hit her.

Rhea was still breathing heavier then normal and fighting to stay conscious, but after a few seconds she once again stood tall as if nothing happened. Between not sleeping or eating, she was extremely drained. Using her powers wasn't the smartest move on her part, yet it never took such a toll on her. She'd been in much worse condition and used her power, so she couldn't help but wonder if he had done something to her. _Barbas... _the name immediately came to mind.

Suddenly Cara thought of something. She mentally scolded herself for not thinking it sooner, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Are you with child?". Immediately Rhea turned away from her and threw up the the empty liquid contents of her stomach as her mind was brutally attacked by more images.


	8. Chapter 8

I apologize for how freakin' long it took me to update! Someone asked about my inspiration for Rhea, and I kind of mushed together things from both Charmed and Lost Girl. Anyways, thanks for the reviews and enjoy this next chapter!

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_*flash back*_

_The tight metal cuffs caused a violent stinging sensation around her already raw wrists with every jerk of the chain. She remembered the past few days of assaults and the constant hiss of agiels that plagued her body. Then nothing. The silence was deafening. _

_That is, until the moment she felt the chain being tugged with great urgency as her arms were lowered from their painful position above her head. Her pale eyes dared to crack open for a moment to see a familiar, sinister grin, plastered on a face that haunted her every thoughts._

_His long fingers gently stroked her cheek, a betrayal of his all but gentle intentions. "I have a special of breaking people you know. It's a unique skill that the true Lord Darken Rahl taught me himself. And. You WILL be broken, valkyrie whore", he said before he slapped her hard across her already bruised face. The stinging felt like hundreds of needles were piercing her cheek at the same time._

_She was now on all fours on the rough, blood stained grates that were previously just out of reach. She tried to summon all the strength she could, but she couldn't make her body stand and fight. __**Pathetic. I'm So weak. **__The menacing thought rang throughout her head, but she couldn't help that her battered body betrayed her. Even valkyries had their limits._

_She chanced another glance up and looked around the room, which only earned her a swift kick to her temple. Her ears rang and her vision blurred slightly at the sensation. Until his words and actions finally became clear in her pain fogged mind. She understood what was about to take place, but her weak protests didn't cease. She would not accept her fate. The more she tried to fight to get him off, the more pain we found herself in. _

_She kept trying to tell her self this wasn't happening, she was a powerful valkyrie who could kill this son of a bitch any day. The thought didn't help her. And it was only the first of many times it didn't help her._

Maybe she was too numb at the time to comprehend what he had done to her, or maybe she made a conscious choice to suppress it. Either way, every excruciating hour of violation was coming back to her in sickening, random waves. Seemingly triggered by random things. By the time she snapped of her intrusive flashback, she was shaking and on her knees in the grass, struggling to suck air into her lungs.

Cara watched the scene in front of her, completely torn about what to do. Clearly the woman in front of her was in need of comfort, but she wasn't equipped to give any out. A dull ache entered her heart, she wanted to help the other blonde. She stood with her arms by her side and right leg bent slightly in front of her, as if she was about to rush over, but instead she stood still in that position. _This is really more Kahlan's thing, _she thought. The blonde was even debating going to get the confessor but she something inside her told her it wasn't a good idea.

Finally she made up her mind and closed some of the distance between 's emotions tended to cause a response similar to the fight or flight response. She wasn't at all built to handle situations that were heavy in the unfamiliar sensations that she just began to feel shortly after joining up with the Kahlan and the others. Emotions is what they were. Until meeting the merry band all she had really had known was anger, loyalty and pride.

The Mother Confessor was however, teaching her much about the feelings of others, but little about her own; mostly due to the fact that she rarely showed them. Cara could now understand that there was more out there in the feelings spectrum.

When Rhea finally, completely, broke out of whatever episode she was having, it took a few more short moments for her to realize she wasn't alone. She quickly stood on her now wobbly, pale, slim legs, and turned to face Cara.

"Don't you dare tell anyone…", was her only response, and it came out as more of a growl then anything. The mord-sith cocked her head to the side slightly, faking a cockiness that she certainly didn't feel around this woman, "I won't. But if you need to talk about….this, or your time in the temple….", she shifted awkwardly in the spot she was standing in, and before she could say what she really wanted to (which was that she could talk to her), a different response involuntarily left her lips, "Kahlan is good at talking..".

Rhea nodded in understanding and the unspoken words. She was a master at reading body language and expressions, so in the few days they had been together, she had learned Cara's quite easily.

It was her turn to feel incredibly uncomfortable, "Cara….to answer your question from before.." She cleared her throat, buying herself a few invaluable seconds that she thought would help her gain enough courage, but in the end did shit all; "Valkyries can't get pregnant. It's impossible since we're technically not living. But we're also weirdly not dead. We're in a sort of limbo category of beings and our bodies don't at all work the same way as others. We're doomed to be Odin's bitches, and repeat our life cycles. We're not meant to reproduce so we can't…".

The other blonde pretended to understand, she hated being made a fool. "Of course. I must have forgotten.. Eat your bread and i'll meet you back by the stream". Her stoic expression betrayed nothing, but her voice was clearly uncertain and slightly annoyed, which made Rhea stifle a laugh. Cara made a hasty retreat back to her other travelling companions as her heart beat wildly out of nervousness. _Not that I care at all what the valkyrie thinks…_

By the time she walked back to the stream where the others were, everyone was done their lunch and ready to go. As soon as Kahlan saw her approaching she quickly met her mid path. Without thinking, Kahlan slowly brushed her hand down her leather clad shoulder to her forearm and squeezed it in comfort.

Butterflies flew wildly in Cara's stomach at the somewhat intimate contact. It was so soft yet.. -_Damn it confessor….. _She mentally cursed the other woman for having such a strong effect on her once again. Such a simple touch caused her to want to rip off that white dress….the dirt and others around be damned.

When Kahlan looked straight into her clear green eyes she saw a spark that she hadn't seen before then. She had almost memorized the looks of Cara, and this was a new one. It intrigued her as much as it turned her on a little. A warmth danced low in her belly.

It was an uncharacteristic, such subtle bright swirl in her green eyes, yet it made her heart flood with warmth. She wished she could always see that look. But she knew if she tried to acknowledge it, it would fade away, so instead she burned it into her memory before speaking. And as much as she wanted to smile, the situation was far from funny. "Is Rhea okay? She didn't seem well earlier".

Almost as soon as the words were spoke, the mord-sith hardened. _Of course she's concerned with her. _Unfamiliar with social cues and these emotions she could feel emanating from the brunette, she took it to mean she was interested in the other blonde. Kahlan immediately noticed the dramatic change in her demeanour, and furrowed her perfect brows in silent question. "She's fine Mother Confessor. Just an upset stomach", she answered without making eye contact.

Cara had been picking up on how Kahlan could notice the shift in these new feelings within her. Confessors weren't supposed to be able to read mord-sith.. Which was something she frequently told herself, trying to believe it was coincidence when she picked up on anything.

Foolishly, the blonde thought if she didn't make eye contact, she couldn't tell how this was effecting her. Boy was she wrong.

The Mother Confessor's stomach swirled in sync with Cara demeanour change. _Why is she upset, _she wondered. Without saying another word she went off to where her master Rahl was by the river to stand dutifully by his side. Once she reached her destination, her head turned without her permission and met the sad gaze of the Mother Confessor.

Kahlan watched Cara's red clad form retreat, and when she turned to look back at her, unreadable green orbs met her gaze. _Damn it. She's mad. _

Richard's face noticeably lit up when he saw his mord-sith walk up to his side. It had been a long while since she had sought his company, "Cara! We missed you during lunch! Ready to get going soon?". After the painful look she share with the confessor, she absent mindly glanced down the path she had just walked back on. She turned to him with a dead pan face that took most of her might to form, "Rhea will be here in a few moments". The feelings swirling around inside her weren't making being her stoic self easy at all. It was a different kind of torture, that she was sure of.

Not wanting to continue any awkward, forced conversation with him, she immediately walked a few feet away, over to a large rock that lay directly by the stream and sat down on it. She stared at the clear, flowing liquid as it passed by. As if making it a game to distract herself, she burned every detail of the stream into her mind. It had a calming effect on her. Slightly similar to the one she would get whenever Kahlan would lightly touch her to comfort her, or the warm gaze she would see when she looked into her pale eyes. The difference was that in this moment she didn't have to fight the feeling it gave her.

Although she was positive her face betrayed nothing, the brunette always knew when she was in a fowl mood, or upset. It annoyed, and excited her. She couldn't deny her beauty, but it wasn't the first thing she noticed when she joined the gang. It was the radiating warmth, and kindness. She could easily tell this woman had been through hell and back, as she had, yet it changed her in a magnificent way. They had been shaped in two completely different, even opposite ways by their experiences. At times it made her wonder how such a woman was even real. Not that she would ever voice these passing thoughts…

But that goddamn warm feeling that fluttered in the pit of her stomach whenever she looked at her. _Seriously? Gods be damned. This needs to stop. She's not interested. _

The past few days had been extra excruciating for the mord-sith. Between the increasingly intense sensations Kahlan caused, and now the completely different feeling this new woman stirred within her…. It was hard as hell to contain her emotions.

Rhea finally composed herself to walk back to where she left the others. She scanned the area seeing Kahlan speaking to Zedd by the main road, Richard sulking by himself and then she saw Cara. _Fucking Cara… _she thought. That goddamn mord-sith was like an magnet she couldn't pull herself away from. Almost without thinking she walked over to the blonde. She prayed no one else saw her for the moment.

"Look…sorry about earlier. I ate the bread, so let's just ignore everything else okay?". Cara turned her head slightly away from the other woman, not making eye any contact and still gazing at the stream. "I understand. And I won't. As long as it doesn't become a problem, and you keep eating". At her last words she was certain to make eye contact with hesitant grey eyes to emphasize the seriousness of her tone. Rhea bit her lip slightly and nodded.


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks again for the reviews, they honestly really do motivate me to write faster! Also, i'm thinking you guys will like the end of this one ;). Keep reviewing !

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The next town was only a few candle marks away, so the gang had decided to stay at an inn for the night. Richard being the people person he was (and of course the seeker) had scored the gang two free rooms. As a sign of respect, he allowed the girls to room together, and took the other one with his grandfather.

As soon as they had put their things in their rooms, Rhea immediately made her way to the bar and ordered the group two pitchers of ale. Cara smirked to herself for a split second. She liked this girl's style. When she came back to the large wooden table she poured everyone a giant pint before chugging hers down thirstily.

Kahlan's brows furrowed in concern, "We haven't even ordered dinner yet Rhea..".

The valkyrie brushed a long, wavy, light blonde lock behind her ear, and chuckled lightly, "Babe, this is my dinner". Instantaneously, Cara lifted her mug and clunked it against hers. Which resulted in an intense glare in her direction. The mord-sith clearly enjoyed Rhea's attitude, but the confessor, not so much.

Rhea wiped the little bit of foam off her full upper lip before responding seriously, "Kahlan, i'm kidding. Unclench and have some ale". It had been a long time since the confessor drank, because it was so easy to lose control over her power when she did. Finally deciding that after all they had been through, she deserved to celebrate, she tentatively nursed her pint. She smiled inwardly at how tasty it was. She had completely forgotten how warm the alcohol made her belly feel, and began taking much bigger gulps. She deserved it after all. What could possibly go wrong?

When their food arrived, the valkyrie made a pathetic attempt at eating, only able to get down a few bites of bread and cheese each. Not wanting to create any awkwardness by watching everyone still gorging themselves on the delicious food, she opted to hangout by the bar where her mug could be refilled faster. She had a simple goal in mind for the night, get drunk enough to not remember anything.

She was feeling floaty and half way through her eighth pint of ale when she felt a damp, meaty hand on her exposed lower back. She flinched immediately and prayed it was Kahlan or Richard, but when she turned around she was met with and extremely drunk, portly man with a thick black beard, and balding head. He smiled at her sloppily, revealing heavily yellowed and chipped teeth.

Subconsciously, Cara had been keeping an eye on the valkyrie from their table, which was conveniently located only a few feet from the bar. When she spotted the disgusting man approaching the other woman she tensed. He was easily three times her size, width wise, and there was something about him that put her on edge. Kahlan was sitting so close to Cara that she felt the blonde tense against the side of her arm. Maybe it was the buzz she was feeling or maybe something else, but without thinking she put a hand on Cara's lower back before reaching it around her waist to hold her closer. Cara wanted to melt in that moment, and it took all the strength she had to get up and move away from the contact she so craved. _Damn it Kahlan. _

_Okay, I am so not in the mood for this shit_. Rhea took a step back from the bar, before half leaning on it and finishing her ale in one swig. "Can I help you? I mean clearly you're beyond help in looks department. But I thought i'd ask just in case you really wanted me to kick your ugly ass anyway", the blonde smiled sweetly and tilted her head slightly to the side.

The man was too drunk to register her insult and instead ordered them two shots of rum. "A-after thisss do you- ah come back to the bed?", he slurred while pointing a finger out the window, in the direction he thought his room was. Rhea lifted the shot to her lips and drained it before laughing in the man's face. "As i'm sure it's been your entire life, it's just going to be you and your hand tonight". The burly man clearly didn't like being laughed at, and he turned around to see his buddies at a nearby table laughing hysterically and pounding the wooden surface at the scene unfolding at the bar.

Thinking she had put him in his place, Rhea turned to go back to the table where Kahlan and the rest of them were when her forearm was grabbed roughly. The man spun her around to face him, and pressed his fat stomach against her thinner frame, effectively pushing her hard against the edge of the bar. His breath wreaked of alcohol, and it felt hot and sticky against her face when he spoke. His anger must have sobered him up because his next words were clear, "You're going to come back with me. Whether you like it or not slag". She hadn't anticipated a confrontation, and her dulled senses caused her to freeze for a moment. She began to panic at the close contact and threat in his words. Her mind starting to drift back to the temple...

Suddenly the hand that was wrapped tightly around her wrist let go, and the pressure against her body was gone as the man fell straight onto the floor, howling in pain. Cara had stuck him in the side of his fat stomach with her agile. "AAAHGHH!". Cara stood over him, and bent over so she could get in his face. "If you come near the valkyrie again, i'll make you regret that you're a pathetic excuse of a man". The man looked like he was about to wet himself, as did the bartender. The other patrons were thoroughly intimidated and scared as well by what just happened. With a satisfied smile, the mord-sith stood back up and ordered two more pints of ale, handing one to Rhea as she confidently walked back to the table.

Kahlan's mouth hung open slightly, she couldn't believe Cara had just done that, not only in front of so many people, but to protect this strange woman that they barely knew. Her cheeks flushed, and her body felt more tingly then it had before. She was enjoying the effect the alcohol was having on her, no doubt. And she especially enjoyed watching the mord-sith strut back to the table. Something about the way Cara could confidently take control of a situation so easily made her heart race.

_I wonder what other situations she could take control of… _before she her mind could wander to where there was no return, Richard's voice interrupted her, "Kahlan? Kahlan? Are you okay? Your cheeks are a little red. Almost as red as Cara's leathers". The voice startled her out of her thoughts and she turned to see a knowing smirk on Cara's face that she didn't even try and hide. Unable to think of a quick response, she tried to act nonchalant as she took another sip of ale, but as she was doing so the blonde slowly licked her full lips before adding to Richard's comment, "Something on your mind confessor?", she asked sweetly before cocking her head to one side.

This was to much for Kahlan, heat pooled low in her belly as her eye involuntarily lowered to the mord-sith's very exposed neckline. She momentarily choked on the mouthful of ale.

On her other side she heard what was a mix between a stifled laugh and a cough from Rhea. Her head wiped around in time to see the valkyrie smoothly cover her face by taking a long swig of ale. Kahlan's blush only increased.

Zedd curiously eyed the Mother Confessor and Cara back and forth quietly, the wheels turning in his head. Until suddenly he understood. "Richard, i'm quite tired. I think we should return to our room now". The Seeker whined almost childishly, "But it's still early Zedd, the night is young!", he said as he dramatically spread his arms wide for emphasis. "That may be my boy, but I won't have you coming into the room at ungodly hours of the night and waking me up. I need my beauty sleep you know".

He brushed a hand through his sandy brown hair and sighed, his grandfather was right. "I guess it's time to say good night. You ladies have fun. And Cara, as Lord Rahl I order you to protect Kahlan and Rhea tonight". In response the blonde just nodded obediently, but Kahlan became suddenly angered by his words. How dare he order around like that? As if Cara was some slave created to do his bidding? Moreover, she could protect herself, with alcohol in her system or not. Richard walked to the other side of the table, thinking he would hug his love before he went to bed, but instead Kahlan shoved him away from her.

"Wha- Kahlan!?". She stood on slightly unsteady feet and turned to face him, "No Richard. You need to stop ordering Cara around! She's not some slave to be used whenever it's convenient for you! Your magic may run through her veins but you do not control her like that. I don't care if you're the Lord Rahl or not! And for the love of the creator, I'm the ruler of the midlands, not some child that needs constant protection!". The warm buzz of the alcohol and cloudiness in her mind caused the words to finally fall from her mouth without regret. It felt liberating, until she felt her control over her own power begin to slip with the anger she was feeling. She quickly stormed away from the table, toward her room. The mord-sith sat their a little uncomfortably, starting at the half empty mug in her leather clad hands.

Stunned by what just happened The Seeker was left hurt and speechless as Zedd gently guided him back to their room, physically not letting him run after her. The awkward encounter had caused Rhea to drain the rest of her drink. "Well then…shouldn't you go after her?" she asked. Cara's brows furrowed in confusion, "What do you mean? She won't want to talk to me". "For a mord-sith, you really suck at reading people". The other blonde considered her words carefully before giving into the strong need she felt within to go after the other woman. She hated to see her upset.

By the time Cara had made her way up to the room, she found the Mother Confessor on a chair by the window. She appeared to be in a bit of a better mood, but she reasoned that it was most likely due to the half empty bottle of wine in her hand. "Look! They gave us this wine free with the room!", Kahlan giggled as she sloshed a bit of the red liquid onto the floor. She was clearly beyond the point of caring about control.

Cara just stood there with her hands on her hips, staring at the other woman, almost in awe. She looked so carefree in this moment. Most of the time Kahlan's soft features were plagued by a worried expression that she kept hidden deep beneath the surface. If you looked hard enough you could always see it. It was the burdens of all the midlands on her shoulders, the difficult judgments she had to make, and the need of constant control she had to have on her powers. It took it's toll on her. Cara engrained this carefree Kahlan into her mind. It was a beautiful site.

The Mother Confessor had finally noticed the odd, soft expression on the other woman's face. She stood and made we way over to her, extending her arm, "Wine?". Before she had reached her, she stumbled forward. Reacting quickly, Cara caught the bottle in one hand and wrapped her arm around the confessor, pulling her flush against her front to stop her from falling.

The brunettes breath caught for a moment at the closeness and warmth radiating from Cara's exposed skin. Then she giggled softly again, "That was close". The mord-sith felt the vibration from her words, and warm breath against her neck and shivered slightly.

Having regained her balance, Kahlan now stood in front of her and gently touched the side of her face, "Are you cold? I could close the window..". Kahlan stared into confused, but beautiful green eyes, hypnotized. She couldn't tell what the other woman was thinking, but she knew that she desperately wanted to know. Her darker blue eyes trailed down the mord-sith's tanned neck to her cleavage that was rising and falling heavily now under her leathers. Kahlan bit her bottom lip while letting herself indulge in staring at her full breasts.

The mord-sith heart was beating wildly in her chest. She tried to keep convincing herself the alcohol was causing her to act this way. Causing Kahlan to seem like she wanted her. As far as she was concerned, she didn't deserve this closeness or intimacy from the Confessor. In her mind Kahlan's love was something pure that would somehow be tainted by the mord-sith.

Before her hand had a chance to move down, away from her cheek, Cara grabbed her wrist gently, which forced her to look back up. "Kahlan…..". The confessor could see some sort of internal battle swirling behind her green eyes, and felt a dull ache in her chest. She had never seen the blonde look so pained and unsure. Cara gently put the bottle down on the floor and when she stood back up she saw Kahlan walking towards her. The blonde took a step back for every step she took forward until she felt the bed hit the back of her knees. But Kahlan didn't care, she kept moving forward. Her defences were finally down and she allowed her self to do what she had always known wanted.

"Kahlan…. What are you doing?". "I don't know…. just let me..", her voice trailed off as she gently pressed her lips against Cara's. The blonde let out a soft sigh she had been holding in since the moment she laid eyes on the other woman. Kahlan tasted sweeter then she expected. Cara grabbed her waist and pulled her closer against her, but she still needed to feel more of her. Switching their positions she gently pushed Kahlan so she was sitting on the bed, and straddled her lap. All the confessor could do was stare at the her, mouth slightly open. She was incredibly turned on.

Cara trailed light kisses along her jaw and down her neck, while beginning to slowly undo the lace on the front of her travelling dress. The brunette tilted her neck to the side to give her more access and put her hands on the other woman's thighs. She closed her eyes enjoying the sensation, and moaned unexpectedly when Cara began to suck on her pulse point. This made the more-sith smile against her skin. She loved the sound of the confessor moaning and craved to hear it again.

Suddenly there was a loud knock on their door that caused both woman to jump up from the bed. "Kahlan! Kahlan we need to talk!". Cara growled in frustration and Kahlan rolled her eyes at the interruption. Richard had impeccable timing..

Knowing if she did, it would probably just lead to a fight, she grabbed Cara's hand, "Could you..could you get rid of him? Please. I just can't talk to him tonight". The blonde nodded in understanding and went over to open the door. She only opened it only enough so he could see her and not into the room. "Cara! Where's Kahlan? I know she's mad but I need to fix things. I orde-.". "Kahlan's passed out from drinking. You can talk to her tomorrow". Before even letting him finish his order, or whine some more, she shut the door.

The brunette smiled gratefully, "Thank you". "No problem confessor. Now where were we...". She began the make her way over until another unexpected knock at the door cause Kahlan to jump. Cara hovered her hand over one of her agiels. If it was Richard again she was going to literally stab him with it. She walked over to the door, but when she opened it this time she saw the Inn Keeper trying to keep a very drunk Rhea upright "You need to deal with this. She was spilling drinks everywhere at the bar and tried to take a bottle of rum after last call...". He pushed the smaller woman towards Cara and she stumbled into the blonde. Rhea had to grab the mord-sith's shoulders to stop herself from falling on her face. "You're.. pretty. he", she said between drunken hiccups. Cara rolled her emerald green eyes before closing the door in the owner's face, and guiding the belligerent woman into the room.

Rhea passed out almost immediately as she touched the bed. She looked so peaceful, and it made the blonde happy that she was finally getting some rest. She didn't know why, but seeing her in this moment also brought her peace. But when Cara looked over to Kahlan, she saw her already in her night gown. "I guess we should get some sleep too..Night Cara", she yawned tiredly. The blonde was slightly confused by how The Mother Confessor was acting as though nothing had just happened.

The brunette was crawling into bed beside the passed out valkyrie when Cara decided she needed some air. "I'm going for a walk". She left before she could hear Kahlan's protests.

The cool night air blew against her hot skin, waking her up. Cara found a nearby bench and sat down. She needed to process what had just happened between her and the confessor. She scolded herself for craving her touch so much and losing control like that when the other woman was obviously under the influence. _Maybe she'll just forget in the morning and things will go back to normal... _she sighed heavily before gripping both of her agiels.


End file.
